My thanks to Netgallery and the publisher, Harper Collins for this ARC. The publication date is the 6th June.

This is the first novel by Lucy Foley I have read. I understand her previous books have been well received so thought I would give this one a go.

Set in costal Dorset, this tale mixes spooky horror, murder mystery, revenge and hubris in an entertaining story. With the novel's two intertwining story arcs 20 years apart, Ms Foley skillfully links the two parts of the story together, providing a few twists, along with couple of I knew it moments.

The description of the actual "Midnight Feast" is entertaining, although I have my doubts that the ingestion of psychedelics in cider would necessarily have created the effects Ms Foley described. Being a west country lad I like cider but I am aware that not every one does. I am sure that a reasonable number of people would not have indulged and this part of the plot did feel a little weak to me.

The final showdown on the cliff edge is well written and provides the reader with the finale they deserve. Ms Foley then adds a little epilogue with a further twist, complete with a joke worthy of a Carry On film to finish the novel with.

Overall an enjoyable read and I will be looking out for her previous works. Recommended.

Another brilliant dark thriller from Lucy Foley. Set on the Dorset coast, where hidden pagan rituals still play a part in the lives of the locals, it makes for the perfect chilling summer read. Francesca Meadows, and architect husband Owen, celebrate Solstice for the opening of Tome Manor, a luxurious hotel suitable only for the elite. But having encroached on an ancient forest (well-respected by locals), the celebrations do not go according to Francesca's seemingly perfect plan, as the folkloric group known as the "Birds" send sinister messages to uncover the Manor's dark past.

I really liked the incorporation of a character's childhood journal entries to gain insights into uncovering the mystery, and how secrets were covered up many years ago.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK & NetGalley for providing an early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed her previous book,The Guest List, so was excited to have the opportunity to read this one.
And it didn't disappoint!
The author has used five POV characters moving between 15 years ago to the present day, the evolving identities are read with ease, in this atmospheric, dark, fast paced, mystery thriller.

Thankyou to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Lucy Foleys previous books so this was a must read for me and it does not disappoint.

Slow burn mystery thriller with multiple POV and twists you don't see coming.

Set in a new wellness retreat, that has upset some local people, the grand opening doesn't go to plan.

A huge event at a brand new hotel complex. Owner Francesca Meadows delights in the grandeur of the occasion. But the manor holds dark secrets from fifteen years ago and those secrets are at risk of being told.
I loved The Hunting Party and I felt Foleys other novels fell a little short. However, The Midnight Feast is her at her absolute best!! A murder mystery where even the victim isn’t unveiled until the very end. Told in three separate time periods and from the perspectives of all the main characters. We are given snippets of whodunnit but it keeps us guessing with plenty of red herrings. Most of the cast are completely unlikeable and although initially a little confusing, it all ties up together well. Atmospheric and with added folklore. Perfect for fans of the modern Agatha Christie style murder mysteries.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
I had really enjoyed The Paris Apartment and so was very much looking forward to reading this latest book by Lucy Foley. When I read the synopsis I was further enthused - it sounded very interesting. It is all about the opening of a wellness centre on the Dorset Coast owned by Francesca Meadows, a wealthy socialite who believes in the power of crystals. The centre has been designed by her husband Owen and is a wonder. But the locals are not happy – the centre is on ancient woodland where they have always had the right to roam and there are hints of malevolent forces at work in the forest.
The book is told by going back and forth in time from a variety of points of view. There is Eddie, the local, whose family own the nearby farm who is forced to accept work at the wellness centre. Then there is the guest Bella who has an obvious axe to grind with Francesca and is staying under a false name we also have Detective Walker who is investigating whatever happened at the Midnight Feast and we have a journal written 15 years before the events of the novel. Throughout we have hints of pagan rites related to birds - feathers found in the hotel and references to Du Maurier’s/Hitchcock’s The Birds. There is one scene where hundreds of birds gather which did make me feel unnerved as I read it.
However I found some of the novel implausible especially the reveals at the conclusion but it did keep me reading to the end. My main problem was that I found Francesca such an unpleasant character that I did not mind what happened to her wellness centre or her. I am sure others will have thoroughly enjoyed the novel but whilst I sped through the reading of it I did not love it. Many thanks to the author, Harper Collins and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
I give this book 4 stars.

Midsummer, the Dorset coast
In the shadows of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor.
Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. A solstice supper when the body is found.
It all began with a secret, 15 years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in ………..

A book filled with murder,secrets,folklore and revenge at an expensive retreat. Told through multiple POV’s and different timelines including diary flashbacks the author has a skill of still making this easy for the reader to follow. A slow burn mystery that is character (love or hate them) driven woven together with surprise twists.The reader needs to unravel the puzzle told through short chapters.Not my favourite by this author but an enjoyable read.
With thanks to Netgalley,Lucy Foley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for my chance to read and review this book

As with her previous books, Lucy Foley does a great job of creating a disquieting atmosphere and general feeling of dread. The writing is really very good.

For me, the plot was somehow a bit thin, though. None of the twists really shocked me, and it’s a very very slow burn. The chapters are all very short and it just felt like the narrative wasn’t given time to develop. The story was engaging but it just didn’t quite draw me in in the same way as her others have.

Thanks for the review copy in return for this honest review.

This was fine. It was definitely a slow burn. I could tell what the atmosphere was getting at but it never totally got there for me. It was a bit unreasonable that these people didn’t recognize any of each other. That being said, I am impressed that the author was able to weave everyone together so intricately and successfully. I was worried with so many characters that it would turn into a jumbled mess, but it never did.

I loved Lucy Foley’s previous books but this one is exceptional. I read it in two sittings. With a multiple POV and timelines this shouldn’t work as easily as it did. There’s an almost frantic sense of doom hanging over the whole and most of the characters have distinctly unlikeable traits. The ancient woodland and ritualistic Birds add to the general feeling of unease. There are twists and turns aplenty as might be expected, some more unexpected than others. All in all a well written and intelligent read. I loved it and highly recommend it.

A brilliant thriller that keeps you turning the pages, I couldn't put it down. Lots of twists and shocks, really recommend it!

I am a huge fan girl of Lucy Foley and was over the moon to get approval for this arc on NetGalley!

The Guest List has been one of my favourite thrillers for the last few years so fair to say I was super excited for Lucy's latest novel, The Midnight Feast.

🔥

Synopsis: Guests gather for the opening of the Manor, the luxurious mindfulness retreat hosted by the glamorous Francesca Meadows. However, something dark is stirring, and old enemies are creeping out of the shadows.

🏰

No spoilers from me but this was creepy, immersive and haunting. Sometimes a book can have too many similar characters and you can struggle to differentiate between them. Happy to say this is not the case here. I really liked the characters in this, in particular Eddie.

This book has an element of classism, where the local community was affected by the wealthy and their poor decisions.

If you're a fan of short chapters, multiple POV and plenty of twists then pick this one up when it is published in June!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s the opening weekend of luxury resort, The Manor, and while guests gather the locals are not pleased about this intrusion. With whispers of local folklore and strange occurrences in the woodland, it is soon apparent that the weekend is not going as it was planned. Will dark secrets come to light?

This is a well written, slow burn thriller, which slowly reveals the truth and results in a satisfying ending. The setting and the inclusion of the folklore added a creepy, immersive undertone and it was easy to imagine yourself in the setting. The story is told in multiple perspectives, which can sometimes be confusing but worked well in this story. I was never confused by the characters and found them well written, as well as easy to differentiate. I also liked the use of the past told in diary entries and found this added an extra layer of intrigue.

The story picked up by the mid way point and multiple unexpected twists added a lot of enjoyment and satisfying moments. This was definitely a compelling, complex interwoven story and having read all this author’s books, I would say it is one of my favourites. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Lucy how do you come with this fantastic plots! I started reading and didn't expect at all what happened. What a ride. Really enjoyed this one and felt that it was a clever thriller. That cover is burnt orange and I just love it.

This book was all over social media and kept coming up on my feed so I just had to read it and glad I did. I loved the characters and storyline. I love the rich v poor and how different people are brought together, throw in some secrets and jealousy and there is bound to be trouble. This one didn’t let us down, another brilliant book and will read more by this author!

It took me a little while to get into this book, there was a lot of information between many characters--including lots of nicknames from when they were teens which was annoying to decipher at times.

The plot was enticing to a point, the ending was better than the first 3/4 of the book. The writing is beautiful, easy to read. I just couldn't get into the whole back and forth between the characters, the changes in timeline almost every chapter and the diary that had been kept.

The ending was fast paced, it tied everything up but it was anti-climatic. We sort of know what happened at the beginning of the story, there was probably only one sort of surprise factor at the end (who did it) but it didn't seem thrilling? Maybe it's just me but it should've been far more dramatic.

Still a nice read!

3.5/5

The Midnight Feast is a classic Lucy Foley - dark and twisty, with some great plot twists.
Unfortunately this didn't quite hit the spot for me, the beginning didn't grip me instantly and I found it to be a slow build. Whilst the ending had some satisfying twists it felt underwhelming compared to her other publishing.
3 stars.

Another 5 star read! I devoured this book! A little slow to start but all of a sudden it had me hooked and I needed to know what was going to happen! The characters are very believable and each person came across relatable and overall well written. Get this book added to your list for your summer reads! It’s well worth it!

Lucy Foley is an auto-buy of an author for me. I’m loving her resurgence as a psychological thriller writer. She is solidifying herself as an author to look out for, up there with Lisa Jewell and Alice Feeney, having created a solid backlist of pacy, suspense reads. The Midnight Feast is just another read that can be added to her impressive list of accruing suspense novels. For me, this book was a sure hit. I devoured it in two greedy gulps over a weekend unable to put it down.

Having read other reviews, I know a few readers found there were too many narratives and flashbacks to keep track of but that wasn’t a problem for me. If anything I loved the back and forth, and multiple cast of POVs. It added pace and intrigue, especially to see what secrets the characters were keeping from each other.

We have now/present narrative which follows residents of this small town in Devon discovering a dead body. It’s the usual the detectives come, and little clues are sprinkled to build up suspense in terms of who might have died. This is a narrative that Lucy employed in her previous novels like The Hunting Party and The Guest List. This part of the story was a bit cliched and predictable at times but these chapters are short and added a burst of quick pace and suspense.
Then you have the main narrative which follows four main characters: Eddie, who is working in the hotel; Francesca, the pretentious owner of the hotel; Owen, her husband; and Bella, who has history with Francesca. About a quarter of the way through Bella finds her teenage journal dating about fifteen years ago and we start to see how the storylines connect.

If you suspend your disbelief a little and don’t overthink the coincidences (which there are some), you will enjoy this. It is a solid, escapist thriller read that is satisfying which wraps up nicely tying all the loose threads. Yes, some of the characters are unlikeable but that’s the point of the book. Francesca, especially is the embodiment of privileged, white feminism whose entire business image as this “calm, with nature lifestyle guru” is a facade that satirises the all-organic-food-and-drink-come-to-my-retreat influences/youtubers. Maybe it’s a question of taste but I love unlikeable characters if they’re written well with a bite. I loved the folklore horror aspect too of the birds. There’s a creepy, broody atmosphere to this story. This was an easy five stars from me.

The Midnight Feast is set on the Dorset coast where guests have assembled at The Manor for a midsummer solstice party. There is tension between the locals and incomers and a rich/poor divide. There are a lot of characters in the story, many with assumed names so it is not always easy to keep up. I love the different timelines and the many POVs, showing how past deeds affect the present. The author conveys a menacing atmosphere throughout, particularly with references to local folklore, the Birds and horrors in the nearby woods.
An atmospheric, pacy read with lots of twists and turns and a dramatic ending.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc. All opinions are my own.